

But here’s the thing: a number of them were scooped up by Autodesk.

In recent times there have been several low-cost or free 3D products appear, some of which proved popular. This is not news, but recent developments caused me to consider what’s transpired over the past few years for hobbyists.

This is the world of their flagship 3D CAD product, Fusion 360.Īt first presented as an interesting option, this tool slowly had its pricing altered to strongly encourage standalone users to move to the cloud model. Autodesk began a slow move from the troublesome standalone software business model to a far more manageable cloud approach, which had the added advantage of providing a very smooth, regular revenue stream with plenty of motivation for clients to stay long-term with the product.
